Dallas is not for me...

I just came back from a 3-day conference in Dallas, TX. Now there's not anything really wrong with Dallas (or Texas), but I just didn't really like the city too much. Not that I saw very much of it other than the 3 blocks around the Magnolia Hotel, en route to the Convention Center, and the highway back and forth between Dallas and the DFW Airport...

It seemed to me that the sidewalks just rolled themselves up after 6pm every night. Not that I'm a city girl, but I like the idea that I can go and get what I want or need when I want or need it. Here's an example: THE STARBUCKS IN THE MAGNOLIA HOTEL CLOSED AT 6PM.

How is that even possible?????!!!!!?????!!!!!?????

We talked with a few locals, and they told us that there are tons'o'people who live in Dallas' city limits, but only 5000 of them live in downtown Dallas. Apparently, you live in the suburbs of Dallas (Irving, Richardson, etc.), drive in every weekday to go up into your highrise office building, go downstairs into the food court underground in your building's basement for lunch (similar to what's under Rockefeller Center in NYC - which doesn't close at 6pm, by the way!), then leave to go back to your home in the suburbs. You don't stay in the city.

Apparently it's a GREAT city for philanthropic fundraisers - lots of black tie events to collect oil money for good causes, but it's not the kind of city where you go to Burger King on Tuesday night 'cause you don't feel like cooking...

The Magnolia Hotel is GORGEOUS! I had a "cute" room, according to the front desk. Room 616. It had a huge king-sized bed, 3 walk-in closets, a BIG tub/shower combo, and an absolutely immense full kitchen. A full kitchen. A full kitchen bigger than the kitchen I have in my 5-bedroom home in Clifton! With a dishwasher, a full-sized refrigerator, a microwave, a full-sized electric stove and oven, a coffee-pot, blender and toaster, and cutlery, china, and pots and pans. Amazing! And all for the low, low price of $261 a night! (Not in NYC, baby!!!)

I took some pictures - if I could only figure out how to download photos into this blog, I would. I tried some artsy ones - we'll see how they came out when I pick them up from Costco tonight...

I had the brilliant idea to visit a Recollections; there's one 5.5 miles from the hotel, according to the almighty Mapquest. According to the person who answered the phone and admitted she didn't know downtown Dallas very well, it was "much farther than that." So without a car, I didn't go. Rats!

This weekend is a surprise party for SN, then Jack has an all-day Special Olympics event on Sunday. I think I might shop a bit, then scrap a bit, then clean a bit, then cook a bit... I'm big into bits, as you can see...

Who ever thought that booking one measly little haircut, actually, a trim, would be so complicated and would totally affect the schedules of three or four different people?!???

All I wanted to do was get my hair trimmed before I leave for Dallas next Monday. It's like this: my hair can get to be "too long" overnight. That's right. Overnight. Not over the course of two or three weeks, or even two or three days. I can go to bed and all's well with my head, and in the morning? Voila! Too much hair!

So I called to make an appointment with Kristen at the "new" hair place. She was busy until Thursday night. Okay, I can do Thursday night.

NO I CAN'T DO THURSDAY NIGHT. Jack needs my car Thursday night, and I'm just not good enough at a stick shift to take the Subaru through traffic and into that teeny-tiny parking lot. So I call to reschedule.

BUT WAIT! I can't reschedule 'cause on Friday I have the Credit Union dinner right after work, on Saturday I have an all-day crop, on Sunday the salon is closed and on Monday - well, I'll be in Dallas on Monday.

So I'm now going to A WHOLE NEW PERSON AND A WHOLE NEW SALON to get my hair trimmed. Eva's hairdresser Leah is going to do it on Saturday morning, at 9am. Eva says she's great but Eva's haircuts involve a blunt cut bottom. That's it. No layers. No bangs.

Keep your fingers crossed!

So now I had to let Deborah know I'd be late for the crop, and ask her to save me a seat. And my new friend (I really do like her a lot, to say nothing of the fact I adore her little son Harrison!) said she'd be "sad" if we didn't sit together at the crop! Awww... She's great!

I love you, Dad, and miss you with all of my heart!!!

Tonight's dinner was cancelled - depending on who you listen to, we're getting a surprise March snowstorm. Basically, it can be anything from nothing to 17 inches!!! Come on!!! It was 79 degrees at Newark Airport two days ago!!! I'm definitely going to get sick. I just know it.

Back to work, since I'm most likely leaving early with Jack; Maria called to tell me they're letting the kids go home at 1, and the teachers at 2:30. (What's wrong with that picture?!?!) Hopefully that will be enough time for the WASCP parents to pick up their kids and not make Jack (and me!) stay later than everyone else!

Tomorrow is 20 years since Daddy died. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him and miss him. They're right - it gets easier to deal with, but the missing just doesn't go away. I wish he were here - for me, for Mom, for P and C, for J and A. They just don't know what they're missing, not knowing their maternal grandfather. And Dad? He would have been in his element with grandchildren! He would have been that favorite grandparent, the fun one... I can just see A with him now!

I've been married almost 8 years now, and I still can't watch a bride dance with her father at the reception without crying. It could be in person or in a movie - I'm still just a big wuss when I see that. And I get mad. I get mad that I was robbed of that moment. I remember Ivy (from Sher) telling me I can't get "mad" 'cause that's getting mad at God and that's wrong. Wanna bet?!?? I don't love God any less but it really ticks me off that he took Daddy when he did. What can I say? If that makes me a bad Catholic, so be it, but there are people still living long and fulfilling lives, people who are mean, vindictive, malicious - you know who you are! And my dad, a man with a huge heart, an incredible mind, a phenomenal personality - he's dead. Gone. Forever. Yes, that really ticks me off!

On to other topics...

I got a couple of invitations in the mail yesterday. One was an invitation to a bridal shower for Kim (as in Justin and Kim). Their wedding is June 9. Looks like I really have to start exercising and dieting again, BIG TIME, so I can look semi-decent in photos... At least I have an immediate goal. Hope that will be what I need to really stick to WW again. I know it works. It took 20 pounds off me. But I've gained some back, and I MUST START AGAIN. I MUST STICK TO IT AGAIN. I WILL START AGAIN. I WILL SUCCEED AGAIN. I AM SUCCEEDING.

I also got an invite to Stan's surprise 50th. I'd really like to go, just for the surprise part, and the wish him well part. We don't have to stay for the entire thing; we don't know anyone there but the Stan and Cheryl and I think they'll be a bit busy... Somehow I don't think we'll be going, though...

Dinner tomorrow at Villa Amalfi in Cliffside Park with the Hoboken School Employees Federal Credit Union. What can I wear? What can I wear? Hmmm. Black pants... Dressy top... I know! I'll wear the same thing I've worn to all the dinners!! Well, that was easy...

Mom's new bed was delivered yesterday. She says she slept well in it. I'm glad.

Saturday, March 24, is my all day crop. I can't wait! I printed out some pix from C's trip to Punta Cana, and I'll make her a page, perhaps for Mother's Day or her b'day... or just for nothin'!!! I'll work on my card swap, too - 12 "love" cards. Hope they come out respectably okay...

Well - I'm at work. Guess I have to do some. Work, that is...

I think I'm sick...

A couple of days ago I spent the entire day sneezing, chasing after my runny nose and my runny eyes - basically I felt pretty miserable. Yesterday I felt much better, so good in fact, that I was able to attend my Scrapping MeetUp. Got up this morning - the first thing Jack said to me was, "Do you feel okay?" Guess I didn't look so good! And I've been dizzy since I woke up. Not dizzy-spell dizzy, but light-headed, really bad if I close my eyes... I had a good b'fast (multi-grain bread with peanut butter and raisins, for iron); it didn't help. I went and got a slice of multi-cheese pizza and some salad with delicious, calorie-laden bleu cheese dressing. I feel a bit less dizzy, but I'm not walkin' crosstown this afternoon, that's for sure! I'm cold, I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm hot... YUK!

We had a tag swap last night - I have to remember next time that I can make the tags larger. I made a small size; it came out okay. I signed up for a card swap for May. Thank goodness there's enough time 'til then. Think I'll work on them at the all-day crop in two weeks... Have to remember to bring home some fibers, etc., from the lake this weekend...

Next Friday is the Credit Union dinner. I wanted to do some shopping pre-dinner for some clothes, but it's period-week and I'll be bloated. So I think I'll take a day off the week after and try to spend a whole day shopping. I asked Eva if she wanted to come... She said she might...

So, it's been a while since I wrote about my life. I spent some time online last week Googling high school friends and acquaintances. Here's what some of them are doing:

• Liver transplant specialist
• Breast cancer specialist/with clinical trials in progress, and also specializing in sarcomas
• CEO of high-tech aeronautics company, former CEO of production company that produced a Broadway play
• Doctor - hemotology, internal medicine, oncology
• Chiropractors
• Publishing account executives

I was pretty impressed! Especially by the fact that the ones who have proven themselves to be so successful - well, they weren't all rocket scientists in high school! Some of them? Yes, they were real smart. Others, not so - or should I say, not apparently so...
I'm excited - I might be able to visit P this summer! It sounds like we might be having our next set of sales meetings in San Francisco. If we do, I'm taking a few days after to fly to a state in the SW. She asked me the other day if I had any ideas as to what I might want to do while I was there, but I really don't - she can work, I'll stay home and watch TV, take the dogs for a walk (one at a time, thank you very much!), and generally just veg!
I was in Mom's attic the other day, cleaning out some of my old things - letters, books, etc. I found some old letters from Barb B., a former friend/roomie. I always prided myself on my memory. I could remember everything, actual conversations, the clothes I was wearing, etc. FORGET IT! I was reading about people I don't even remember! Ex. Grayson & Jimmy. WHO??? I had no clue. Then, after straining my brain, I remembered: the people with the ferret that Donna lived with for a while! It hurt, but the brain came through!!! I cannot believe that I couldn't remember such memorable people!!! But I didn't!!!
I just called Stan to wish him a Happy B'day, three days early, since I thought he might take some time off next week. Apparently not. He couldn't talk; he was real busy. Said he'd call back. We'll see.